Surgical stitch



Jun 3, 1941. .w. M. EATON 2,2 44,448

SURGICAL STITCH Filed Feb. 20, 1939 Patented June 3, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SURGICAL STITCH William M. Eaton, Boca Raton, Fla.

Application February 20, 1939, Serial No. 257,504

7 Claims. (Cl. 128-335) a This invention relates to improvements in surgical appliances, and more particularly to a novel surgical stitch.

An object of the invention is to provide a surgical stitch of simple, inexpensive and practical construction, and one which may be applied by a layman.

Another object is to supply a stitch that may be made from court plaster or adhesive tape combined with some suitable means to prevent sticking of the tape to a wound.

A further object is to furnish a stitch which may be manufactured from any suitable flexible strip material, and which will have a reduced medial portion provided with a layer of a suitable material to prevent that portion from sticking to a wound.

With the foregoing objects outlined and with other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described in detail, i1- lustrated in the accompanying drawing, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the inner side of my surgical stitch complete.

Fig. 2 is a similar View with the protecting tapes removed and showing the stitch in condition to be applied to a cut or wound.

Fig. 3 i a longitudinal sectional view on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig.4 is a View similar to Fig. 2 but showing a modification.

Referring to the drawing, 4 designates a strip of any suitable flexible material, such as a piece of gauze or other textile material.

As shown in Fig. 2, the end portions of the strip are provided at the inner side of the stitch with layers 5 of any suitable adhesive material. Notches 6 are cut through the edges of the medial portion of the strip, so as to provide the strip with a reduced portion or thread I, and the notched part of the strip is provided on the same side as the adhesive with a suitable layer 8 to prevent sticking. If the strip is made from a piece of adhesive tape, the layer 8 may be formed from a sheet of, Cellophane or the like.

In using the stitch, one spot of adhesive 5 may be caused to adhere to the skin at one side of the wound, and then the non-tacky portion 6 may be stretched across the cut, and finally, the other spot of adhesive is secured to the other side of the wound. Obviously, when it becomes necessary to remove the stitch, the thread I may be severed and the tabs thus formed at the middle of the stitch may be gripped by the operator in peeling the stitch from the skin.

To facilitate handling of the stitch, I prefer to cover the adhesive spots 5 with short strips 9 of any suitable material such as a textile fabric, and

the short strips will adhere to the adhesive and prevent the latter-from sticking to foreign objects until it becomes necessary to apply the stitch. The inner ends of the short strips 9 preferably overlap at the medial portion of the stitch, so that they may be grasped in peeling the short strips 9 from the stitch.

Instead of providing the notched portion of the tape with a protective surface, I may, as illustrated in Fig. 4, simply leave the adhesive ofi of the notched portion 8a. of the tape and incorporate a fine, strong, reinforcing thread II in the tape. This thread, as shown, can extend lengthwise of the tape along the central portion of the same, and, of course, it can be incorporated in the tape during the knitting or weaving of the latter when the tape is formed of any suitable textile material. In this form of the invention the adhesive to will be applied only to the end portions oi one side of the tape and the notched or medial portion will be left bare at the same side of the tape.

While I prefer to manufacture the stitch from adhesive tape, it is manifest that it can be made of other materials, such as synthetic tapes of a cellulosic nature. If a synthetic tape is made, the adhesive spots would be placed upon the end portions of the same, and after cutting the notches, of course, the medial portion would be uncoated, due to the nature of the material employed.

Due to the shape of the stitch, it covers the flesh directly adjacent to the wound, and gives a more solid efiect than would be the case if a thread or threads were simply stretched between two pieces of adhesive tape. This will prevent the flesh from bulging from either side of the stitch, making for a lesser scar after the wound has healed.

The herein described and illustrated embodiments have given satisfactory results, and it will be obvious to those skilled in the art, after an understanding of the invention, that other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is intended that all matters contained in the above description or shown in the drawing, shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A surgical stitch comprising a thin strip of inelastic flexible material having oppositely disposed notches arranged substantially midway between its ends and extending from its side edges to points in close proximity to its longitudinal center line to provide a relatively narrow neck at the medial portion of the strip, the strip being provided at one side thereof with a layer of adhesive arranged at opposite ends of the notched portion of the strip, said notched portion having on said side thereof a surface which will not adhere to the human skin whereby when said neck is severed, non-tacky tabs are formed to fathereof being provided with a protective layer to prevent the medial portion of the strip from sticking to the skin.

5. A surgical stitch of thin flexible textile material having oppositely disposed notches at its medial portion forming a reduced portion intermediate the ends of the strip, the strip being provided at one side thereof with layers of adhesive arranged at opposite ends of the notched portion of the strip, and a relatively thick reinforcing thread integral with the strip and extending lengthwise of the central portion of the j strip, the notched portion of the strip having on cilitate removal of the severed portions of the j strip from the skin. p

2. A surgical stitch comprising a strip-of thin flexible material having oppositely disposed notches at its medial portion, forming a reduced portion intermediate the ends of the strip, the strip being provided at one side thereof with layers of adhesive arranged at opposite ends of the notched portion of the strip, the notched portion of the strip being provided on the same side with a layer of a material having the characteristics of Cellophane and which will not adhere to the human skin.

3. A surgical stitch comprising a strip of thin flexible fabric having oppositely disposed notches at its medial portion so as to provide the intermediate portion of the strip with a reduced portion, one side of the strip at opposite ends of the reduced portion being provided with layers of adhesive, the same side of the notched portion of the strip being provided with a layer of a material having a smooth glossy surface to prevent the medial portion of the strip from adhering ,to the skin.

- 4:. A surgical stitch comprising. a strip of. adhesive tape having oppositely disposed substantially V-shaped notches at its medial portion, the notched portion of the strip at the adhesive side said side thereof a surface which will not adhere to the human skin.

4 6-. A surgical stitch comprising a strip of thin textile material having oppositely disposed notches at its medial portion, forming a reduced 7 portion intermediate the ends of the strip, the

strip being provided at one side thereof with layers: of adhesive arranged at opposite ends of the notched portion of the strip, the notched portion of the strip having on said side thereof a surface which will not adhere to the human skin.

7. A surgical stitch comprising a thin strip of inelastic flexible material having oppositely disposed notches arranged substantially midway between its ends and extending from its side edges to points in close proximity to its longitudinal center line 'toprovide a relatively narrow neck at the medial portion of the strip, the strip being provided at one side thereof with a layer of adhesive arranged at opposite endsof the notched portion of the strip, said notched portion having on said side thereof a surface which will not adhere to the human skin whereby when said neck is severed, non-tacky tabs are formed to facilitate removal of the severed portions of the strip from the skin, and a relatively thick reinforcing thread threaded through the strip and extending lengthwise of the central portion through said neck.

WILLIAM M. EATON. 

